Even then, Joe stood out, in a school population where it was not easy to stand out.
Ifirst met Joe Calendino when I worked as a counsellor and teacher of English at Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver’s east side in the mid-1980s. For a copyright licence, visit or call toll free to 1-80.Ĭataloguing data available from Library and Archives CanadaĬover and interior design by Peter CockingĮbook by Bright Wing Books ( brightwing.ca)Ĭover and interior photos courtesy of Joe Calendino No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). Told by his trusted former high school counsellor, author and educator Gary Little, To Hell and Back offers a page turning and rarely told perspective on gang life-a remarkable reminder of the power of individual transformation. Calendino not only recovered but thrived and redefined himself as a community youth leader, eventually winning the Courage to Come Back Award given to individuals who give back after overcoming tremendous adversity. In desperation, Calendino spent months in rat-infested crack houses, combing back alleys for anything that might help him get his next fix.įinding himself on the cusp of death, he gained the support of an unlikely ally, Officer Kevin Torvik, a former high-school buddy on a very different path. Eventually frustrated by Calendino’s recklessness, the Hells Angels stripped him of membership. A tight noose of addiction began to rule. A gripping portrait of a notorious Vancouver gangster and Hells Angels elite who descended into a life of homelessness and addiction, ultimately redeeming himself through award-winning youth advocacy.Īs an outlaw biker living on the fringes of society Joe Calendino travelled the world, relishing the dangerous glamour of the Hells Angels’ lifestyle, even committing himself to an elite chapter in the organization: the Nomads Motorcycle Club or “one percenters”.īut his life soon spiralled into a world of drugs and debt.
0 kommentar(er)
